He looked me in the eye. “Exactly. You did your best, too. Hell, you took his abuse the longest and whilealoneafter Mom took off. It was unfair, Aiden. I don’t know how the fuck you turned out so amazing.”
“I had you,” I said softly. “You fought for me. I wanted to be worth that.”
“You always were,” Flynn said. “You always will be.”
“I second that,” Knight said, rejoining us and handing me a drink. “You’re worth everything, Angel.”
I scoffed. “You twowouldsay that. You guys love me.”
Knight and Flynn exchanged a look.
“Yes, we do,” Knight said, lips quirking. “So, I guess youmustbe good enough, huh?”
“I must be,” I agreed with a smile.
Wasn’t that what I’d been learning ever since I got here? That none of us was perfect. That to love my whole self, I had to love my flaws too. That I had to stoptryingto earn love and just receive it.
“I know Mom bailed on you, but I want you to know I never will,” Flynn added.
“I know,” I said sincerely. “And I know my plans called for me to move all over the country. I never really thought of it as bailing on you?—”
“Not the same,” Flynn said. “Don’t you worry about that.”
I smiled. “But it looks like my future will be here after all. It’s official. Dr. Meadows got funding to start a traveling doctor program, and he wants me as a resident next year.”
He broke into a big grin. “That’s amazing, Aiden! You’ll be helping people around here, then?”
I nodded. “In a three-county spread, yeah. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Best news ever,” Flynn said, thumping my back. “So proud of you for stepping up to help people who really need it.”
Flynn would never hold me back, but all that time I’d believed I had to be a prestigious surgeon to show him he’d made a worthwhile sacrifice seemed silly now. He was so damn happy to have me here. So excited for my future.
“Guys!” he called. “Aiden is going to stay here and work as a traveling doctor helping rural folks who can’t get out of their houses. Isn’t that awesome?”
“Fucking cool as hell,” Axel said.
“I’m really glad you’re staying,” Shiloh said with a sweet smile.
“Me too,” Emory said.
The guys all chimed in as we joined them at the picnic table, lifting their beers and congratulating me on my future, telling me how glad they were I’d be staying close. The pressure to always prove myself, to always do just the right thing, receded under the wave of their warmth.
It was like a giant group hug, all of them happy for me simply because I was happy.
I lifted my cup to take a sip of beer but tasted a tart lime instead. Knight had made me a margarita because he was thoughtful like that.
I sipped at my drink, letting the well-wishes shower down on me, and leaned in against Knight’s side.
“You okay?” he asked as the conversation began to move on to other topics.
“Never better,” I said a smile in my voice. “I’m finally home.”
His eyes met mine, far too much understanding in them. “Yeah, Angel. You and me both.”
EPILOGUE
KNIGHT